Duel Corp. news & patch notes

To-do Patch v0.8

Attention: All changes are for the upcoming v0.8 build.

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱ 90%

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱ 80%

• Added UI for structures and workers to the relation window

• Added being able to assign workers in the relation window

• Added assigning residents to relation window

• Added prisoner handling to relation window

• Added error message for tooltip if villager is already assigned \

• Added prisoner handling tooltip to relation window \

• Added assigning residents tooltip for relation window \

• Added selecting trade goods as resource for buildings to relation window

• Added new calculation for building efficiency with all workers and used resources

• Added new area "Characteristics" to relations window

• Reworked scalings of attributes for characteristics

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱ 60%

• Added ladder (art) in/out for new interior maps

• Added generating interior maps

• Added reducing difficulty of maps that have an interior map

• Added interior map lighting

• Removed fog borders inside of interior maps

• Fixed enemies sometimes not despawning and flickering when dead

• Fixed exterior lighting inside of interior maps

• Fixed crime chaining not working correctly when target is defeated

New interior map type

To-do Patch v0.8

Attention: All changes are for the upcoming v0.8 build.

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱ 90%

• Added new crime: kidnapping

• Added a marker for the next village leader if current leader is dead

• Added the ability to pay for crimes at the next village leader if the current leader is dead

• Fixed leader of village not being determined correctly when in world of other player

• Fixed being able to capture already captured enemies again when in world of other player

• Fixed capturing enemies not always working correctly when in world of other player

• Fixed enemies not always despawning when captured by other player

• Fixed not updating leader marker when new leader of village is determined

• Fixed villagers not stopping movement

• Fixed not loading prisoners correctly when in world of other player

• Fixed prisoners having quests when in world of other player

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱ 80%

• Added UI for structures and workers to the relation window \

• Added being able to assign workers in the relation window \

• Added new UI animaton for relation window

• Added a new render mode for structures in the cinematic/portrait renderer (relation window tooltip)

• Added information of how villagers perform in certain jobs (relation window tooltip)

• Reworked some UI elements in relation window

• Reworked calculation for attritbutes, professions and how they influence certain jobs

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱ 50%

• Removed Ui when stealthed

Improved stealth

To-do Patch v0.8

Attention: All changes are for the upcoming v0.8 build.

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱ 90%

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ 70%

• Added resetting dead prisoners

• Added new leader selection when current leader is captured

• Fixed being able to hand over prisoners as criminal

• Fixed duplicating lords / leaders

• Fixed prisoners counting to population of village

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱ 50%

• Added automation of buildable generated structures

• Added automation of buildable handcrafted structures

• Added resource requirements for building structures

• Added new shader + animation for buildable structures

• Added VFX + SFX when building structures

• Added prototype UI for worker assignment

Buildable structures

To-do Patch v0.8

Attention: All changes are for the upcoming v0.8 build.

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱ 90%

• Added prison guard

• Added being able to hand over prisoners

• Added artificial map for castle

• Added siege troop entering siege camp

• Added siege camp map

• Added assault troop attacking and conquering village in background simulation

• Added resources needed for buildings

• Added UI system for buildable structures

• Added english localization for buildable structures

• Added confirming building of structures

• Added asset outline for buildable structures

• Fixed troops in overworld destroying nearby camps not always working correctly

• Fixed npcs not parrying capture chains

• Fixed npcs always breaking chains too early

• Fixed being able to take key npcs and players as prisoners

• Fixed being able to hit chained targets

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ 70%

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱ 40%

Imprisoning captives

To-do Patch v0.8

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱ 80%

• Added taking prisoner success / failure logic

• Added npc despawning when taken as prisoner

• Added new item for taking prisoners

• Added chains projectile

• Added target stun effect during capture attempts

• Added precomputing possible village paths in overworld to reduce loading times

• Added mesh for chains VFX

• Added chains projectile / loop / break / success VFX + SFX

• Added research tree for lords of villages

• Reworked overworld navigation mesh generation to no longer use navigation mesh obstacles

• Reworked some skill tree UI background functions

• Finalized / Reworked some research abilities

• Fixed peasants in overworld choosing unreachable destinations

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ 70%

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱ 40%

Taking prisoners

To-do Patch v0.8

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ 70%

• Added new ability Channel Mana

• Added village research options (game design)

• Added research tree (WIP)

• Added for spell Channel Mana: impact and channel VFX + SFX

• Added conversion of existing combat attributes, villager professions, and character traits into additional secondary base attributes (e.g., farming, social, etc.)

• Finalized village resources options

• Fixed finding path to target in background simulation of overworld not always working correctly

• Fixed troops in overworld not always finding shortest path to destination

• Fixed active troops in overworld not always despawning correctly which may lead to fps drops in the overworld over time

• Fixed siege troop camps dissolving too early

• Fixed siege troops not always spawning when siege camp dissolves

• Fixed not showing cooldown correctly when spell is no longer usable

• Fixed troops in overworld choosing unreachable destinations

• Fixed finding path to target in overworld not always working correctly

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ 70%

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱ 40%

New ability to restore mana over time

To-do Patch v0.8

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱ 50%

• Added new village layout template

• Added siege troops moving towards destination in background simulation

• Added siege troops creating camps in background simulation

• Added caravans moving into siege camps in background simulation

• Added siege camps dissolving when target village is conquered

• Added siege troops leaving when siege camp dissolves

• Added siege troops moving back to source village when siege camp dissolves

• Added path finding algorithm between villages in overworld for long paths

• Fixed wrong source village of assault troop

• Fixed troops in overworld not finding path to destination if destination is too far away

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ 70%

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱ 40%

Village buildings now influence the game's simulation

To-do Patch v0.8

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱ 40%

• Added spawning siege troops

• Added siege troops forming siege camps

• Added source / target regions to overworld troops

• Added caravans bringing supply to siege camps

• Added siege camps spawning assault troops when receiving supply from caravans

• Added duration to siege camps after which they dissolve

• Added procedural terrain editor tool

• Added terrain path editor tool

• Added siege troop / camp text

• New village layout (experimental)

• Fixed siege camps always being hostile towards player

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ 70%

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱ 40%

Lords can now siege and conquer other villages

To-do Patch v0.8

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 30%

• Villages will now have access to more resources to manage, giving lords additional strategic options. (Game Design)

• Redesigned how players interact with and progress through the new village resource system. (Game Design)

• Added/Redesigned template village with new resources \

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ 70%

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱ 40%

• Added new stealth talent stunning with attacks / abilities from right

• Added new stealth talent silencing with attacks / abilities from left

• Added new stealth talent critting with attacks / abilities from top

• Added english description of new stealth talent

• Added playing sfx when bandits / plunderers rob village in overworld and close enough

• Added 2 new VFX + SFX for new talent

• Replaced talent silent steps with new stealth talent

• Changed timing at which stealth is removed during an attack or when using an ability

• Fixed being able to turn while in stunned animation and has target

• Fixed troops in overworld sometimes alternating between two paths to the same destination

New stealth talent: Effects change depending on the direction of your attacks and abilities

To-do Patch v0.8

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 30%

• Added village guards destroying camps in background simulation of overworld

• Added spawning troups when camp is destroyed

• Added village guards in overworld destroying camps in live simulation

• Fixed overworld troups of destroyed camps attacking each other

• Fixed not spawning combat vfx when guard attacks camp

• Fixed bandits not always fleeing when camps are destroyed

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ 70%

• Added lords and leaders being able to interact with each other and the player with the new event system (calculation still unbalanced needs testing)

• Added that interacting with events increases or reduces relations between leaders and the player

• Changed Relation-Window to display the new data structure

• Split Npc properties into two seperate lists for positive and negative

• Split NPC events into two seperate lists for positive and negative (easier to expand later on)

• Added being able to add new npc relations

• Changed npc event structure

• Changed npc property structure

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 30%

Village guards clearing out bandit camps

To-do Patch v0.8

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 20%

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱ 60%

• Added generating npc relations

• Changed lords / faction leaders to only have other lords / faction leaders as family members initially

• Fixed not loading all npcs of map correctly

• Fixed faction leader using only lord / faction leaders as family members not working correctly

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 30%

• Changed hide in shadows to always make invisible regardless of range for a certain amount of time

• Adjusted hide in shadows description

• Integrated talent silent steps into ability hide in shadows

• Redesigned talent silent steps

Improving ability Stealth

Vacation Notice – Back on May 7th

Hello everyone,

Just a quick update from us: We’ll be on vacation until May 7th.

During this time, responses or updates may be a little slower than usual. If anything urgent comes up or you have any questions, we’ll still be reachable and checking in regularly.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support

Your Dev Team

To-do Patch v0.8

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 20%

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱ 60%

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 20%

To-do Patch v0.8

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 20%

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱ 60%

• Added input prompts to relation ui

• Added more "tabs" for relation ui (faction leader, lords, player team)

• Added scroll area to relations ui

• Added traits to relations ui

• Added relatives to releation ui

• Added relation-bars to relation ui

• Added english localization for relation ui

• Added generating npc properties

• Added generating simulation seed

• Added generating family trees

• Reworked tooltip of ralation ui

• Changed potrait so that characters not always look into the camera

• Finished event ui design (code still WIP)

• Fixed not increasing size of villager data correctly

• Fixed multiple lords in village (in save file)

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 20%

Interactions and relations

To-do Patch v0.8

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 20%

• Added farm prototype

• Added pre-generating all npcs in save file (WIP)

• Added troups of overworld camp robbing nearby villages

• Added troups of overworld attacking each other in background simulation

• Added sometimes spawning camps next to defenseless villages

• Changed camp to also despawn if player is nearby

• Changed troups in overworld chasing other troups sooner

• Fixed spawning too many camps nearby villages

• Fixed village patrols moving too far away from village

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱ 40%

• Added potrait renderer for relations UI

• Added potrait renderer scene and system for cutscene-renderer

• Added relations game design \

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 20%

Farm Prototype

Quick Update: Brief Delay Due to Illness

Hey everyone,

Just a quick heads-up that there has been no progress this week. A stomach flu has hit the team pretty hard, and we needed a few days to recover.

We'll be back in action as soon as we're feeling better. Thanks for your patience and understanding

To-do Patch v0.8

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 10%

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 30%

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 20%

Horses in villages

To-do Patch v0.8

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 10%

• Added removing troups in overworld that could not be paid

• Added spawning peasants that move to target village (real simulation)

• Added guard in overworld returning to village if wasn't paid by lord

• Changed village guards only spawning in overworld after being paid by lord

• Fixed not initializing population count of veilhome correctly until player has entered map

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 30%

New Content & Requested Features

▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 20%

• Added interior asset of fort

• Added Great Hall and interior design

• Added Prison / Treasury and interior design

• Added Private Quarters \

New Fort Interior

Hotfix v0.75c

Balance / Changes:

• Added allowing to talk to faction leader if has enough reputation in current ruling faction of region

• Changed ability "Mark" to no longer aggro target

• Changing behavior at map borders

• Capped negative faction reputation at -2000

• Changed talent Neurotoxic Venom / Dagger Expertise draining energy of players: 0 -> 1 (minimum)

Fixes:

• Fixed enemies sometimes stucking behind exit area (white fog) if not in combat

• Fixed no longer stucking when moving against map border (white fog)

• Fixed progressing status effect equipment masteries not working correctly if not party leader

• Fixed not displaying rarity of second quest reward correctly

To-do Patch v0.8

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%

• Added overworld regions no longer losing population when low on wealth

• Added lords of villages having to pay for guards

• Added lords of villages managing wealth with taxes

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 30%

New Content & Requested Features

▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 10%

• Added forts (WIP)

• Redesigning village hub area (WIP)

New customizable fort (WIP)

Hotfix v0.75b

Fixes:

• Fixed other players sometimes being invisible in conquests

• Fixed enemies sometimes playing death SFX twice when playing in coop

• Fixed sometimes no longer being able to invite friends and no longer connecting with other players

• Fixed boulder not always landing correctly

• Fixed swapping key bindings of switch weapon and sheathe weapon with controller not saving when returning to character selection / exiting game

To-do Patch v0.8

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 30%

• Changed in game event to be modularly extendable

• Changed event UI appearance

• Added one more event UI

• Added selection options for both event UIs

• Added multiple actor support for events

• Added modular system to design event acts

• Added declare war event with modular toolkit

New Content & Requested Features

▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%

• Added prototype mine map \

New event UI (version 1 or version 2)

To-do Patch v0.8

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%

NPC Relations & Events

▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 20%

Added cinematic mode for characters

Added not showing name of npc in cinematic mode

Added code for future cinematics \

Added SFX and ambience to cinematics

Added ability to add multiple acts to cinematics

Added camera move animation to cinematic

Added animation acts for cinematic

New Content & Requested Features

▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%

Faction leaders daclaring war on you

Weekly Status Report

Hello everyone,

A quick update: dealing with company matters took much more time than expected last week, and this is likely to remain the case in the coming week. We’re not complaining, but it does take some time away from development.

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%

NPC Relations & Events

▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 10%

Added prototype relations UI

Added prototype cinematic video UI

Added prototype cinematic scene

Added prototype cinematic actors, camera and logic

New Content & Requested Features

▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%

Prototype of the Relations UI

Hotfix v0.75a

Requested features & Changes:

• Reset Skillpoints: When resetting skill points, players will no longer lose abilities they learned from equipment masteries.

• Changed localization text for reset skillpoints

Fixes:

• Fixed an issue where the Stat Champion achievements were not triggered after leveling up

• Fixed stat champion stamina achievement counting vitality instead of stamina and vice versa

• Fixed one missing collider in Rabenholz

• Fixed being unable to save game if had dismissed teammate in old save file

• Fixed sometimes not being able to select NPC dialog option

• Fixed an issue where players could become unable to move if they reset at a specific time after dying

• Fixed resource nodes and bushes spawning in the PvP areas of villages

Weekly Status Report

Hello everyone,

We believe that all game-breaking bugs have now been fixed. That said, we’ll continue addressing and fixing any additional issues we discover, even if they don’t critically impact gameplay.

We’d like to sincerely thank everyone who contributed bug reports, especially those who provided clear reproduction steps and video footage.

Starting today, we’re shifting our focus to the next content update.

As with our pre-release Weekly Status Reports, we’ll be using progress bars to keep you informed.

Simulation, Strategy & Management

▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%

We plan to introduce deeper management mechanics for players, as well as more smaller regions that can already be conquered and managed at lower levels.

Players will also be able to take part in the game’s global politics and play an active role, while NPCs react to the actions of both the player and other NPCs.

NPC Relations & Events

▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%

NPCs will be able to interact with each other and with the player, forming relationships and reacting to events.

New Content & Requested Features

▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱ 0%

We plan to introduce events using a cinematic-style notifier, and we’ll also be adding requested features. What we can already confirm includes:

• Stat reset

• Usable items that affect other items (for example, an item that removes all sockets)

• Quality-of-life companions (for example, companions being responsible for their own arrows, or allowing you to hold them back so they don’t interrupt quest progress)

• And more to come

Hotfix v0.75

When you enter the game for the first time, all skill points allocated in the skill tree will be reset, as we’ve made background changes to the system.

Balance:

• Increased cooldown of ability Frost Nova when used by enemy NPC: 8 -> 20

• Enemies will no longer use talents that can randomly one-shot the player. This includes: Precise Strikes, One-Handed Axe, Two-Handed Sword, Chain Reaction, Shatter, Sniper Training and Storm’s Wrath.

Changes:

• Increased speed of level search expansion in Conquest (PvE) queues

• Changed item drop VFX for better visibility in the desert biome

Fixes:

• Added dissolve timeout

• Fixed Steam overlay input issue

• Fixed accepting quest as non-party leader not working correctly

• Fixed items sometimes spawning below buildings

• Fixed not leaving queues when another player joins party

• Fixed a typo in a Steam achievement

Early Access: Future Plans

Important Note

These future plans are not set in stone. As with all Early Access development, they may change based on iterative testing and your ongoing feedback. Our current priority is to fix existing bugs and stabilize the current build before moving forward with major new content. That said, this outline reflects our current direction and how we intend to proceed once the game reaches a stable state.

TL;DR

We’re expanding simulation, strategy, and RPG systems to make the world feel more alive and reactive. Expect a deeper overworld simulation, more conquerable and manageable regions, more dynamic lords and factions, improved balance, and more handcrafted campaign content.

Your Feedback & Our Direction

We’ve been listening closely to your feedback and have decided how to shape our next content updates during Early Access.

1. Expanding the Singleplayer Experience

Our approach: Our goal is to expand the gameplay with deeper simulation, strategy, and RPG elements to create more variety and long-term decision-making.

2. Building a More Living, Reactive World

Our approach: We plan to significantly enhance the overworld simulation so the world feels more alive and believable.

Lords and factions will react not only to the player’s actions, but also to events unfolding around them. For example, helping a village by clearing nearby bandits may be acknowledged by neighboring lords. Securing a mine and producing sufficient trade goods could open up opportunities to negotiate trade agreements with nearby factions.

Similarly, when the player conquers a village or claims territory, other faction leaders will respond dynamically rather than ignoring these developments. Our goal is to create a world that feels interconnected, reactive, and shaped by both the player and AI-driven interactions.

3. Improving Balance and Player Counterplay

Our approach: We want the game to remain challenging while ensuring players have clear and meaningful ways to respond to threats. We have already begun improving balance through recent hotfixes and will continue refining difficulty and counterplay throughout Early Access.

4. Expanding Handcrafted Content

Our approach: We plan to create more handcrafted maps for the campaign. These locations can also serve as dungeon-style content and provide a foundation for additional content in future updates.

First content update

Our upcoming update will focus on expanding simulation, strategy, and RPG systems, while making the world react more clearly and consistently to the player.

How We Plan to Do This

We plan to introduce additional overworld regions that players can conquer and manage at lower progression levels. Lords and factions will react more strongly and visibly to player actions, including economic, military, and political decisions.

Thank you for playing Duel Corp

- Duel Corp Team

New features:

Added one more campaign

Players now see base stats and how stats have been distributed. This also applies when inspecting other players

Reduced loading times and optimized save file (after entering character selection for the first time)

Balance:

Increased cooldown of "wings" ability for NPCs: 20 -> 40

Fixes:

Fixed quest reward recipes not increasing level of recipe

Fixed npcs aggroing player when disguised and queuing conquest

Fixed talent restorative aura not healing player teammates

Fixed frozen break SFX not using sound settings of the game

Fixed that restore defaults in games tab could break text (language related)

Fixed one potential bug which could lead to invisible teammates when playing in coop (invited friends only)